


Shining Dishonesty

by snickerdoodlles



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Gen, Howl's Moving Castle AU(ish), gen or pre-relationship based on your heart's desires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:53:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25493407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snickerdoodlles/pseuds/snickerdoodlles
Summary: In the land of Banhon, where the grass grows magically greener and the power of twins is quite well known, Atsumu makes himself a castle that wanders where it pleases and its front door opens to four different places. It’s here where he lives in peace and occasional mischief until a cleaning witch comes around and invites himself through the door.(Loose Howl's Moving Castle AU, no knowledge of the book or movie required.)
Relationships: Bokuto Koutarou & Hinata Shouyou & Miya Atsumu & Sakusa Kiyoomi, Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu, Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi, Miya Atsumu & Miya Osamu, Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi
Comments: 13
Kudos: 148
Collections: MSBY Exchange





	Shining Dishonesty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sawumura](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sawumura/gifts).



> This is not a straight AU—though I’m delighted by how well Sakusa matches Sophie and Atsumu Howl, I have no interest in trying to retell DWJ’s story. Studio Ghibli did their AU of it, and now I’m doing mine.
> 
> Something I’d like to note even though its only an important to me: this worlds magic has a Discworld approach. Wizard and witch classifications are distinguished between application of magic—wizards are more academic and theoretical in their magic explorations, and witches prefer more practical uses. The gender connotation of these two are an unfortunate offspring of society, where women are often forced to be far more practical than their coddled male counterparts.

The first time Sakusa enters the wizard’s castle, he screams so loud the mountains of the Wastes shake.

Atsumu has no _proof_ that this is the origin of the rumor he eats virgins’ hearts, but the two coincide suspiciously close.

“There are _spiders_ ,” Sakusa wails, perfectly articulate despite the seven layers of cloth covering the lower half of his face. Atsumu would _love_ to get a closer look at this marvel of cleaning witch magic, but he’s been banished to the corner of his own workshop. He muses that this possibly for his own protection as Sakusa makes his house creak in his fury for clean floorboards. He has a sneaking suspicion it’s actually because he’s the only clean thing in Sakusa’s vicinity, and he needs to stay that way or else the cleaning witch may go insane. “Why _spiders?!_ ”

“Spiders are useful! They kill flies!” Atsumu protests from his perch. Kuro-chan, his beautiful owl familiar and currently perched on Atsumu’s shoulder, hoots his agreement. Atsumu feels vindicated, even though Kuro-chan is probably just agreeing because he likes to snack on them behind Atsumu’s back.

Atsumu’s hair stands on its ends when Sakusa banishes a rat’s remains with _vengeance_ and a thunderous growl. Atsumu shuts up immediately—the spiders can fend for themselves. He hopes they get to eat web-fulls of juicy flies in their next life.

Sakusa mutters a storm as he makes his way to the hearth, the only clean part of the castle. “I cannot _believe_ I will have to live in _filth_ —”

“You don’t! I don’t even know why yer here in the first place—”

Sakusa ignores Atsumu. It’s enough to make anyone wonder what happened to the rumors that usually kept people away, like somehow societal opinion flipped overnight to make people think he’s a _helpful_ wizard.

If so, that simply won’t do. Perhaps Sakusa can’t hear him over his grumbling? Atsumu opens his mouth to helpfully yell Sakusa out of his home.

But then Sakusa reaches Atsumu’s bathroom and screams at a pitch so high the family of mice hiding in the walls make a break for it. Kuro-chan smacks Atsumu’s face with his wings and tears up his shoulder as he chases after them with a delighted _hoot!_

Atsumu spits out a mouthful of feathers. He can already hear the rumors forming in the little towns dotting the bases of the mountains. And if his reputation isn’t driving people off his door and Sakusa is merely the first of many, Atsumu would like the record to show that he’s truly just an innocent bystander to all of this.

(It won’t.)

☆彡

In the land of Banhon, where the grass grows magically greener and the power of twins is quite well known, Atsumu makes himself a castle that wanders where it pleases and its front door opens to four different places. He’s a wizard known not only for power, but also for deep wickedness, and only the truly destitute and desperate would dare seek his assistance for any matter indeed.

Atsumu, fearsome reputation and all, has spent the last three days unceremoniously shuffled from one room to the next as the mysterious cleaning witch scrubs his castle down to its bones. It is not until after the castle is met with Sakusa’s disdainful sniff of approval that Atsumu can ask what brought the man to his doorstep, at which point Atsumu is escorted to his own drawing room and sat down for tea served from a tea set that’s so exquisite it probably costs more than Atsumu’s life. As the water boils in the hearth over a fire that seems just a little _too_ lively, Sakusa glares at Atsumu judgmentally for not offering to brew it first—nevermind Atsumu was never given the _chance—_ and offers no explanation while they wait for the pot to boil. Kuro-chan smartly retreats to Atsumu’s workshop, and it is only his impatient curiosity that keeps Atsumu from joining him there. Sakusa at least has good manners (or at least he does when he’s not howling at Atsumu’s mess, that is), and waits for Atsumu to take his first sip before launching right into it.

“As I’m sure you are aware, the crown prince is missing. Her Majesty the queen is...dissatisfied with the current progress by the capitol’s wizards.”

Atsumu scoffs. He probably should have expected this— _everyone_ knows about Prince Bokuto’s continued disappearance. The capitol’s never been so quiet.

Sakusa arches a brow. “Our crown prince missing for half a year is no dismissive matter, even for one such as you.”

Atsumu rolls his eyes and waves the accusation away. “The queen shouldn’t have left it to the capitol’s wizards if she wanted her son back in the first place. Everyone knows ya can’t leave timely matters to _government_.”

Sakusa’s lips thin as Atsumu speaks, but he does not disagree with Atsumu’s claim either. “Yes,” he says after a careful pause, “It has become more apparent that there are...issues within the current structure that are interfering with an acceptable resolution to this matter.” Atsumu snorts and receives an annoyed look in turn. “It’s precisely for this reason that her Majesty wishes to hire you to find the prince.”

Atsumu snorts again before the words fully register, and then he _drops_ his tea, the fine porcelain shattering on his newly pristine floors.

“ _Me?!_ ”

Sakusa turns away from where he’s glaring the spilled tea and cup shards into cleaning themselves up to stare at Atsumu. “You _are_ the best wizard around, are you not?” His bland tone leaves no mistake that this is not _his_ opinion he shares.

Atsumu is, in fact, the best wizard around, but he’s also notoriously obnoxious and difficult to work with. Everyone knows the great wizard Miya Atsumu is vindictive, black-hearted, scourge of the innocents, and better left to wander the wastes in his trick castle, well away from finer society. Atsumu is very well aware of the rumors blackening his name, he’s been spreading them for _years_.

Sakusa takes a delicate sip of tea, radiating impatience without his expression ever truly slipping into something that could be construed as rude. “You left quite the impression last year during the annual magic conference. Her Majesty enjoyed watching you work until the end.”

“I was _drunk_!”

Sakusa remains unruffled. “Her Majesty will then be delighted when you exceed her expectations _sober_.”

Atsumu slumps in his chair with a dramatic whine. “I don’t _want_ to work for _royals_.”

Sakusa sets down his tea with a sharp _clink_ , which somehow manages to sound _rude_ and yet his expression is still only perfectly courteous. “Her Majesty, of course, would never force you to work for her. She does, however, wish to reassure you that you will be rewarded quite handsomely, and that her favor can make future endeavors much easier should you want it.” And then, almost as an afterthought, he adds, “Her Majesty also reassures that you will be forgiven for blowing up half the observatory last year. After you complete this task.”

 _Fuck_. Reminding him that Atsumu was _drunk_ when that happened will undoubtedly not help him, and probably instead result in a lifetime ban on alcohol. The fire crackles merrily beside them as Atsumu indulges himself with a brief sulk. Sakusa, of course, remains unruffled, and perhaps even bored.

Atsumu sighs and sits upright, brushes his hair back and dusts his shoulder. It will do nothing to fix his dignity, but at least he can pretend this was his idea in the first place. “Fine.”

Sakusa hums inquisitively. Dick.

“I’ll do it.” Atsumu even manages not to sound too disgruntled when he says it.

Sakusa nods. He does not look smug nor satisfied, but rather that it is acceptable Atsumu has realized the futility of turning down the queen’s request.

 _Dick_.

“I will stay to monitor your progress—” (Atsumu’s cry of “Hey!” is, of course, ignored)— “and act as your liaison to the queen. Any resource required that she can provide is at your disposal.”

“I won’t work faster with ya hovering over my shoulder,” Atsumu threatens.

Sakusa stares at him blandly. “I, of course, will ensure that my presence does nothing to affect your procedures, just as her Majesty knows that you will only apply yourself to your accepted task with utmost diligence. I am merely here to ease methods of communication between you and her and, of course, help you acquire absolutely anything you require to complete her Majesty’s task.”

Mother _fucker_ —

“Wait, did you say _anything_?”

☆彡

Atsumu is a very, _very_ annoying person.

It’s less by design and more like a talent he puts to constant use, but the point is that Atsumu is _obnoxious_ to be around for any duration of time, and worse when he puts his mind to it.

He cannot, for the life of him, deter Sakusa Kiyoomi from staying with him.

Having a cleaning witch constantly around is _awful_. His mere presence keeps Atsumu’s workshop impeccably organized. The whole time! It adds hours to Atsumu’s work because he can’t ever find anything. Everything he needs is always exactly where it’s supposed to be, which is of course the _last_ place any sensible wizard would ever think to look. Things are _never_ where they’re supposed to be in a wizard’s workshop. Atsumu will spend hours checking all the usual set asides before he even conceives of looking in the proper spot, where it will inevitably be, complete in a sparkling jar with a label in tidy handwriting.

Don’t even get Atsumu started on the cleanliness either! Spells need a little dust and dirt, need a little _life_ to get them going. It’s one of the few concessions to practicality wizards make, and Atsumu has always embraced the energy efficiency of it with _gusto_. And yet just the other day, Atsumu had to go out and _buy_ fly wings and windowsill dust, like some snobbish noble _amature_ , instead of scooping it right up from his respectfully dirty windows. It’s outrageously expensive to add insult to injury, and Sakusa is completely unsympathetic to Atsumu’s grievances.

“Her Majesty is quite firm that money is not a constraint for this project. Come, I will show you the treasury to put an end to your confusion.”

“That’s not the point!”

Atsumu’s forced to take a field trip to the royal coffers anyways, no matter how he whines. It’s as thought the witch has somehow gained an _immunity_ to Atsumu’s practiced obnoxiousness. To retaliate, Atsumu adds ten pounds of Inari rice seed and three jars of poppy liquor to his next unreasonable supply request—the first nigh impossible to retrieve outside of their annual festival, the second merely outrageously expensive—but Sakusa merely blinks and presents them to him two days later without further comment. Atsumu takes one look at the royals’ seal proudly stamped in gold on the liquor jars, looks Sakusa straight in the eye, and dumps one of the jars in the green fire flickering in the fireplace right next to them. He still fails to muster a reaction from the unflappable Sakusa Kiyoomi.

Atsumu even tries to get Kuro-chan to poop on him during one of his more fitful tantrums, but Kuro-chan levels him with the most baleful blink an owl can produce and shits on Atsumu’s notes scattered about his workshop instead.

“ _Hey_!” Atsumu roars over the smug coos.

“ _Disgusting_ ,” hisses Sakusa from the doorway, having come to investigate. A cool ripple washes over Atsumu’s spine and in the next blink, the owl droppings have vanished entirely and Atsumu’s notes sit in a neat and tidy pile on the edge of Atsumu’s desk.

Atsumu forgets his fit entirely as he lunges for the desk with a loud yelp. He yelps again when the pages are hot to his fingertips, but he doesn’t let go as he rushes to spread them all out safely again.

“ _Careful_ Omi-kun, you could hurt yer self!” Atsumu frets as he pushes the arrays to the edges of the desk, sprinkling moondust as he goes to disperse the magic. He spares Sakusa a quick glance to ensure he’s alright before going back to his notes, frantically shaking out the magic out of the pages without a second thought. “They’re not _books_ , but even notes stacks can fold time on themselves if they’re written to be read, especially the ones with magi-OW!”

Atsumu sucks his singed thumb as he spreads out the last of them with his other hand. He grabs the bottle of dragon's water to sprinkle across the sheets to protect Sakusa from any potential backlash, silently bemoaning the weeks of work it undoes. If it were just him he might risk it, but considering it just took one page to shock his thumb… He scowls at the page that singed him, then snaps his full attention to it and _oh_ , hello—

“—can’t believe you have this problem even with your _notes_?!” Sakusa’s rant filters into Atsumu’s awareness slowly, finally pulling Atsumu’s attention back to the matter at hand. “I hate you stupid wizards, why do you always let your theory get in the way of practicality, its like you lot _like_ to be impossible—”

Atsumu stares. He has never once seen Sakusa flustered, and the man’s been putting up with him for _weeks_.

Sakusa pants at the end of his rant, a delicate flush high on his cheeks, and finally notices Atsumu staring. He _blushes_ and Atsumu loses every train of thought for a solid minute.

“ _Stop_ ,” Sakusa mutters, looking away.

“Uh,” Atsumu says smartly after an uncomfortable pause. He gives himself a mental shake and turns back to the page of notes that distracted him earlier. “I need a jar of widow’s breath, a fresh supply of yer finest beef, and the prince’s favorite candle from his bedroom. Oh, and three red hairs from an unexpected acquaintance!”

“Right.” A quick glance shows Sakusa recovering to his normal dry self. “Why do you want the candle.”

It’s a fair question. Atsumu’s demands have only grown more outrageous each week, and he hasn’t once offered a progress report. Sakusa’s been very, very good about delivering each of Atsumu’s requests, and Atsumu hasn’t unpacked more than two of the many, many boxes now filling his living room. It’s surely starting to grate on Sakusa’s nerves, if not already fanning his general annoyance to fury.

Atsumu smiles reassuringly. Sakusa shows no sign of being reassured. “It’s not for me! The candle’s for Kuro-chan.”

Sakusa gives him a perfect deadpan, which Atsumu returns with his biggest pout. “I can request _anything_ to help my search, can’t I?’

Sakusa closes his eyes for a moment, before opening them and returning to his normally cool self. “Anything else?”

“Hmm,” Atsumu hums with a stroke to his chin, “Whaddya want for dinner?”

Sakusa looks at the ceiling and audibly prays.

☆彡

What Atsumu never expects nor prepares for is the notion that Sakusa fights back. He’s aware the man can give as good as he gets, as Atsumu’s become very well acquainted with Sakusa’s scathing wit. He had just thought that it was the man returning heat, he never even considers they might be _warnings_.

Sakusa’s counterattack comes in the form of the crown prince’s cousin, a man with the demeanor of an excitable puppy and a smile like the sun.

“I’m Hinata Shouyou! Thank you for helping my family! It’s nice to meet you!”

The prince _bows_ with every declaration and smiles between each. It’s so cute, Atsumu’s going to _die_. The prince is a man who, while shorter than Atsumu, is not short and his biceps strain against his jacket in a way that suggests he could break Atsumu if he wishes to. Neither of these things take away from the _cute_ , and instead just make it so that there’s more of the _cute_. Atsumu wants to bundle him in a blanket next to his fireplace to keep forever, or maybe settle for holding his face just once.

“I’m not going to work faster with more royal shadows,” is what he says instead, because Atsumu is an idiot with a mouth perpetually in self-destruct mode.

Hinata looks genuinely distressed. “I’m not here to pressure you!”

“He’s here to help,” Sakusa says before things can go further, too sly to be reassuring. “You requested red hair from an unexpected acquaintance. Shouyou-kun and his sister have been _very_ worried for their cousin. He wants to help.”

Hinata nods earnestly beside him, fists clenched by his sides.

Atsumu is _dying_.

“Alright. Perfect,” Atsumu manages, sounding only slightly strangled. Hinata _whoops_. Sakusa is _smug_.

Atsumu is still dying. He only might last the night.

☆彡

Hinata is supportive, and inspiring, and capable of even getting _Sakusa_ to smile. It’s _annoying_ , and Atsumu wants to tell him to get out of his house and leave him alone, except he will never, ever say such a thing because then Hinata might actually get out of his house and leave him alone. Instead, he puts up with the prince’s terrifying cheer and optimism, and holds up his snark and terrible personality like shields as though that might somehow deter Hinata’s relentless friendship.

Today, Atsumu is in his workshop, taking a break from his royal assignment to make a dent in his common folk queue and dancing between eight different spells at once. Hinata keeps him company because he wanted to hang out with Kuro-chan, who likes him more than Atsumu. (Atsumu can relate, but still finds this incredibly unfair of his own familiar. Aren’t owls supposed to be nocturnal?)

Atsumu hates people in his workshop. They are distracting, dangerous, and annoying, and guaranteed to drive Atsumu out of his mind unless his brother is there to act as a buffer. Hinata had come in to say hello to Atsumu’s familiar and upon seeing Atsumu hard at work, immediately excused himself so Atsumu could work in peace, to which Atsumu immediately protested and cleared off one of his stools so Hinata could sit and watch. Hinata took his seat with glee, and now entertains himself petting Kuro-chan and asking approximately ten-thousand questions.

“What’s that?”

“Spell to prevent laundry from shrinkin’.”

“ _Wow_ ,” he says with more reverence than laundry is due. “I meant the other thing.”

“Oh, dried turtle blood.”

“ _Gross_ ,” he says the same way he says ‘awesome’. “What’s this stuff?”

“The tears of innocent children.”

“What!”

“’m joking! It’s water off a dragon’s back.”

“Oh. _Cool_ ,” he says, back to his usual awe, only this time _smiling_. “Why’d you name your familiar Kuro-chan?”

“I didn’t. Ya don’t name familiars. But he won’t tell me his, and I gotta call him somethin’.”

“But his feathers are white?”

“They weren’t when I found him. I rescued the idiot from my chimney and now he won’t leave.”

“ _Whoa_.”

Hinata must find Atsumu a striking conversationalist, because he keeps joining him in his workshop, and Atsumu keeps allowing him. One time, Hinata even drags Sakusa in with him, even though Sakusa wrinkles his nose at Atsumu’s determined mess, and Atsumu frets the whole time about conflicting magics despite clearing a second seat for him immediately. It’s unbearable to look at Hinata’s beaming smile, which is impossible to turn away from. Sakusa’s seeming indifference is just as bad and made worse when Atsumu catches him reading his notes with academic interest. Atsumu starts inviting both every day, which Hinata accepts with eager enthusiasm always and Sakusa accepts with a sniff only most of the time.

Neither ever ask Atsumu his progress on finding the missing prince—not Sakusa who’s bound by his job, nor Hinata who must miss his cousin terribly. They never question Atsumu’s seeming indefinite stream of commissions or infuriating eccentricities. Atsumu’s beginning to feel guilty about it because Hinata makes them all sit down for dinner together (cooked by either Sakusa or Hinata—Atsumu has been firmly banned from even stepping in his own kitchen since the Spoon Incident), and Hinata laughs, Sakusa roasts, and Atsumu jokes, and all three sneak Kuro-chan extra beef when the others aren’t looking, and Atsumu never, ever wants this to end.

One day, when Sakusa takes advantage of Atsumu’s changing door to find a shrimp treat he likes only found on the coast and Kuro-chan flies off to explore with him, it’s just Hinata and Atsumu laughing in the golden sunlight pouring through his workshop window and the ache becomes too much.

“Why do ya trust me?” Atsumu blurts out, only managing to bite back the second-half of that sentence, but not his regret. He flushes a horrible rudy red and does not—cannot—elaborate, because even in self-destruct mode, losing Hinata’s support will be unbearable.

Hinata doesn’t ask him for more though. His laughter dies into a solemn stare Atsumu’s too scared to meet.

“Why would I not believe in you, when you do everything you do?”

Atsumu gapes and snaps his head up to meet Hinata’s soft smile. His eyes shine, and Atsumu is sure it’s not just because of the sun.

“You work hard, you work well, and you do your absolute best to help others.”

Atsumu wrinkles his nose against the praise. Hinata grips his hands tightly before he can open his mouth to protest.

“You _do_ though, regardless of what the rumors say. I’ve watched you take as many commissions as you can, laughing that you’ll be rich, and then refused payment from all of them. You say the worst things about yourself, and say the rumors are good because they’ll keep the people away, but you’ve never turned away anyone that comes to you unless they’re rich or foolish. You don’t like _people_ , but all you want to do is support others and bring out the best in everyone around you.

“I know Atsumu-san will help my family, because Atsumu-san is _good_.”

Hinata _smiles_. Atsumu feels like a ruined wreck in its wake and he turns to Hinata like a flower follows the sun.

 _‘Shouyou-kun_ ,’ Atsumu thinks as his face flares with heat and he etches the words into his memory, ‘ _ya really do believe I’m better than I am_.’

☆彡

Eight weeks to the day since Sakusa first arrived, nearly five since Hinata first arrived, Atsumu wakes them both before the sun’s left the horizon to take them to his home. His _first_ home.

Hinata acts with appropriate shock and awe as Atsumu twists his door handle to the mysterious fourth location. Sakusa looks like he's asleep despite standing up and that nothing short of a falling star could rouse his interest.

Atsumu delights in both and eagerly pulls them through, feeling jittery as he steps into the little restaurant tucked into a corner of Hirakata for the first time in years. Atsumu doesn’t change their robes—they won’t be leaving this sanctuary, this place where magic blooms and worlds curl together instead of clash—but he amuses himself with their surprised gasps as his ostentatious robes melt into a much more subtle and strange jeans and bomber. The silver bells over the door chime loudly as they all walk through, knocking away lingering spirits and heavy feelings. Kuro-chan hoots back at them and they chime louder in response, a positive feedback loop interrupted when Sakusa is immediately annoyed and distracts Kuro-chan with some jerky. Atsumu pulls them all deeper inside eagerly, ignoring the chairs still stacked neatly on the tables and heading to the back where the warm smell of sesame oil and salt awaits them.

Atsumu holds his arms out in welcome and grins. Hinata and Kuro-chan look around with equally wide eyes. Sakusa doesn’t look as interested as he would if a star had fallen, but his current expression is pretty close.

It’s good to be home.

“Hmm, I knew my morning was going too well.”

His smiles melts off his face like warm wax. “Oh, _fuck_ _off_.”

Behind him, emerging from the shadows of Onigiri Miya’s kitchen, comes a man that’s nearly him, but two steps to the left. Their features are identical in mirror— Atsumu’s hair sweeps right, the other’s sweeps left. Atsumu’s scowl pulls to the left, the other’s sly grin inches right.

Where Atsumu’s hair gleams the gold of rice fields, Osamu’s shines the grey of starlight.

“ _Two_ Miya Atsumus?!” Hinata whispers loudly beside him.

Osamu’s grin wrinkles into a pouting moue and Atsumu cackles gleefully. It is a _compliment_ to be compared to him. Hinata’s gaze whips between the twins, Kuro-chan mimicking him, and both sets of eyes equally wide. Sakusa presses his fingers to a table and raises them with a hum as he inspects carefully for dust.

“No.” Sakusa mutters as he crouches to scrutinize the serving counter. “Everything is perfectly clean here. This Atsumu is clearly superior to ours.”

Their expressions flip, Osamu laughing as Atsumu whines piteously. Osamu snickers mercilessly even as he looks over Atsumu’s guests, calculating gaze hidden to everyone except Atsumu. “Miya Osamu, unfortunate twin to this idiot.”

“ _Mean._ ”

“ _Accurate_.”

“Oh!” Hinata gasps, cutting off the argument. “That’s why you’re so strong! The-the—” Hinata snaps his fingers, beaming— “the Twin Effect!”

The brothers exchange bemused looks. Osamu’s eyes twinkle silver with flickering fires of stars. The sly edge of Atsumu’s grin mirrors Osamu’s perfectly as he turns back. “Something like that.”

Hinata gasps in awe and Sakusa’s head snaps towards them with a suspicious squint. The brothers return it with smiles that tell nothing, and then Osamu turns to Atsumu with a wry expression.

“Since when do ya visit, anyways? Or are ya finally tired of making me come to that pigsty ya call a castle?”

“Hey!” Atsumu protests, “It’s been spotless for weeks!”

Osamu stares at him, then stares at Sakusa, and then stares at Atsumu again, looking vaguely insulted.

Atsumu pouts. “It _could_ have been because of me.”

Osamu snorts. Even more insultingly, _Sakusa_ huffs in amusement as well (which in Sakusa’s language, its practically uproarious laughter).

Atsumu scowls at both of them. “ _If_ yer finished being a dick—”

“Never.”

“ _If you’re finished_ ,” Atsumu continues, louder, “I’m here on business. We have work to do.” A with the snap of his fingers, Onigiri Miya comes _alive_.

The front door snaps open to show Atsumu’s castle, the inside dim without the usual fire in place, and the packages that have been gathering dust in his living room for the past eight weeks carry themselves in single-file. Osamu murmurs a little, “ _ah_ ,” and waves his hand to make the tidy tables and chairs march themselves to the edges of the room, two chairs also setting themselves apart for Hinata and Sakusa to sit. The bells over the door ring and the charms decorating the walls glow to clear the space of any stray wisps of magic. It all takes place in less than three minutes, and the only thing keeping Atsumu from preening under his companions’ awed gazes is Osamu’s knowing grin as his gleaming eyes dart between him and them. But once the bells’ chiming stops, the two drop all else and get to work.

Atsumu likes to work in what he likes to call creative chaos—jumping quickly between tasks and projects to hold his interest and make time for the fun stuff. Osamu calls it a headless chicken dance, preferring a more steadfast methodology. When they work together, they either bring out the best in each other, or crash together in every way possible.

Today, Osamu meticulously draws out Atsumu’s main array while Atsumu dances between the mixtures needed for the points of the arrays and last minute calculations. He grinds down the queen’s favorite bath salts for earth, scrubs down the pine stand with dragon water for purity, burns heron feathers until they shine for clarity, all while calling out adjustments to Osamu as he dances around the edge of the main array, careful not to ruin the dark enenra charcoal lines.

They don’t finish their setup until the cool mid-morning light streams through the front windows. Osamu steps away to wash the dark smudges from his hands and Atsumu walks a slow circle around the array to check for any mistakes—the bigger the magic, the less room for forgiveness, and this is going to be _big_. His walk ends next to his companions—Sakusa may have had an academic interest at the start, but halfway through he'd been distracted by Kuro-chan, who’d been bored from the start, nibbling on his hair. But Hinata’s watched them work the whole time, riveted, and he’s ready to vibrate out of his seat by the time Atsumu joins them.

“What’re you going to do?” he whispers, much to Atsumu’s amusement.

“Ya don’t need to lower yer voice, Shouyou-kun, it’s just magic.”

“ _Whoa_ ,” he says reverently, like he hasn’t been surrounded by it his whole life.

Atsumu only preens a little bit, but Osamu still notices and elbows him in the side with a snicker. Atsumu studiously ignores him and says, “All that’s left is for Kuro-chan to go in the middle of the array, then I say the—”

“ _I’ll_ say it,” Osamu interrupts.

Atsumu glares at him, and Osamu glares right back. Activating the array doesn’t actually take any more power than helping to sustain it. Perks of being a twin—power shared is burden divided. But words are power, words are control, words are the way wizards can shape the world—spells without words are merely lines on paper for wizards. And words, like anything else in nature, can hit _back_.

Atsumu’s spells do not do that, of course. They _could_ , but they do _not_ , as he is _the best_ and most stubborn wizard in Banhon.

Osamu’s frown is dark with stubbornness, and they are no longer in Banhon.

“I hope you get a _beard_ of _feathers_ ,” Atsumu grumbles. “‘ _Samu_ will activate the spell, and then we’ll all be a little blinded and a little windswept, and then ‘Samu will feed us lunch.”

Osamu snorts. “I should’ve known you’d only visit for food and free labor. Leech.”

“Let me say the spell.”

“ _No_.”

“Then yer gonna feed me after.”

Osamu sighs, put upon. “Yer a _trial_.”

Atsumu sticks out his tongue and then holds out his hand. “C’mon Kuro-chan, I need ya for this.”

Kuro-chan hoots excitedly and flies to Atsumu’s outstretched hand, chest puffed out and happy to be included. Atsumu carefully steps to the middle of the array and nudges Kuro-chan onto the carefully scrubbed pinewood perch. Kuro-chan watches him curiously as Atsumu walks to the south end of the circle, and Osamu takes his place at the north end.

Atsumu blinks as a thought occurs to him and he turns to Hinata and Sakusa right before Osamu starts the spell. “Watch your eyes,” he says right in the nick of time.

The spell words Osamu says are lost in the furious whine of the array’s magic, whipped away by the sudden winds they created and the thunder of their power. The array alights with a hot silver-white glow. The magic is a storm bursting out of its shell, and Onigiri Miya trembles and groans around them.

As soon as it starts, it ends. Winds vanish and all that’s left is a faint ringing in their ears. The blinding light disappears, replaced by dark spots in their vision. The carefully drawn array and prepared materials are now nothing more than wisps of smoke, at the center of which stands a naked man with a chest like a barn’s broadside and white hair that oddly resembles his old feather crown.

“Aww,” crown prince Bokuto whines loudly, unconcerned with his nakedness. “I _liked_ being an owl.”

Atsumu snorts and pulls off his jacket, fluffing it vigorously until it becomes a bathrobe that _might_ be just large enough to cover his pecs. He tosses it to the prince and carefully doesn’t stare as Bokuto stretches and shrugs it on. “At least now you’ll have less trouble eating beef.”

Bokuto gasps like he’s achieved enlightenment, only just slightly louder than the gasp that rings out behind Atsumu.

“ _Senpai!_ ” Hinata wails and okay, that’s a weird thing to call your cousin, but it’s heartwarming nevertheless as Hinata barrels past Atsumu to hug the man. “I’ve missed you _so much!_ ”

Atsumu looks away as his chest constricts oddly, wearing a smug grin like armor as he turns to Sakusa. “Aww, Omi-kun, I’ve never seen you express an emotion before!”

Sakusa doesn’t react and continues to stare at the reformed prince. He looks absolutely flummoxed—usually for Sakusa, this translates to his eyes opening a millimeter past half-lidded and the slightest gap between his lips. But this time, the cleaning witch is so surprised, _white_ can be seen around the irises of his eyes, and his mouth opened enough to be classified as dropped.

“Prince Bokuto was...with _you_ …?”

Atsumu pouts and blinks wet eyes at the witch. “You could not sound so _suspicious_ , Omi-kun.”

Osamu looks over with a wry grin, and just a hint of teeth. “‘Tsumu’s absolute shit with animals—”

“ _Hey_ —”

“So he figured out his familiar was an enchanted human when the owl willingly stuck around past the third day. But the enchantment was too strong to remove back then, and he didn’t figure out _who_ Kuro-chan was until later anyways.”

“Shut _up_ , ‘Samu,” Atsumu hisses as Sakusa’s narrow eyed frown suddenly whips to Atsumu in a suspicious glare.

“How long have you been trying to find Prince Bokuto?”

Atsumu looks away, face hot. Osamu’s grin turns _evil_.

“Since the start,” Osamu reveals mercilessly, cheerfully ignoring Atsumu’s frantic jinxes to shut him up. “He _really_ wanted to stick it to the hot air bags in the capitol, but later he just didn’t want to disappoint ya guys. I’ve been putting up with the idiot’s calls about it for _weeks_ —”

“‘Samu, _shut up!_ ”

Atsumu lunges desperately at Osamu, who doesn’t try to dodge and cackles the whole time. It doesn’t matter if Atsumu can catch him now, the damage is already wrought, and Sakusa stares at Atsumu with a surprised, softly fond expression, and the princes have stopped their reunion to smile happily at Atsumu as well, and Osamu is the _worst_ traitor a brother could ever have.

☆彡

In the land of Banhon, where humans are sometimes animals and homes like to roam, Atsumu’s reputation of the fearsome reclusive wizard lives on. News breaks of Prince Bokuto’s cursed transformation, and Atsumu’s praised for saving the prince in the same breath he's accused of cursing him to begin with, much to Atsumu’s amusement, so he sees no more desperate people seeking a quick solution than usual. He’s quite alright with this, as his home is finally quiet and his alone again, and Atsumu can let his respectable wizard dust build up on his shelves and work in his workshop without ten thousand questions following his every move again. The house is quiet of everything but Atsumu’s rambles to his fireplace and the skull sitting atop it once more, and Atsumu is _happy_ to have his peaceful isolation back again, thank you very much.

He’s sitting in his armchair during one of these many peaceful lazy days, staring dully at the fire sputtering before him, when a furious pounding at his castle’s capitol door threatens to shake it right off its hinges.

“What the…” he mutters, reluctantly sitting up. “I’m coming!”

The pounding increases, enough to make the hinges of his _magic door_ rattle desperately. Atsumu debates ignoring it—it won’t be what he wants waiting for him on the other side. He’s hidden the capitol door too well for what he wants. But the knocking hasn’t slowed in the slightest, and now his curiosity is eating its way through his dispirited mood. Atsumu lingers for another minute, despite his hand on the doorknob and his mind made up, before he takes a deep breath and opens the door.

“Tsum-Tsum!” “Atsumu-san!”

“Wha—“ he manages before two exuberant royals slam into him. “What.”

Hinata beams up at him, looking smaller and brighter so up close. “We missed you!”

“Huh,” Atsumu manages right before two trunk-like arms sweep around his middle and hoist him into a bone-crushing hug.

“Nice to see you again, Tsum-Tsum!” Bokuto yells right in his ear, shaking Atsumu from side to side. “Why didn’t you visit!”

Atsumu wheezes pitifully and is unceremoniously dropped so he could regain his breath.

Sakusa stands behind them, eyeing the entryway like he’s calculating a route inside that’ll keep him from being absorbed into the cousins’ greeting. Bokuto catches him anyway and yanks him into reach, squishing all three together. This close, Sakusa can’t ignore Atsumu’s surprised stares.

“They missed you, or something,” he mutters into Atsumu’s shoulder, resigned to the group hug.

Atsumu’s cheeks feel sore, and he realizes it’s because he’s smiling. “You’re not getting your old room back. I already repurposed your bed.”

Sakusa glares at him like he’s an idiot. Atsumu’s too busy marveling his faint blush to notice.

Hinata, still burrowed into his side, laughs brightly. “Silly Atsumu-san, you’re moving into _our_ home this time.”

Atsumu feels like Bokuto just crushed him in a hug again. “I’m what?”

Sakusa rolls his eyes. “You’re stupid today,” he says, explaining nothing. He then holds up a little paint bucket that’s been hiding by his side till now. “We cleared a workshop for you at the palace.”

Atsumu stares at the can, as though it’ll help him avoid the three expectant stares on him right now, or help stop the smile threatening to bloom across his face. “’m gonna blow it up three times a week, once for each of you _bullies_.”

Bokuto laughs. “Mom will just make you do more assignments with us, then.”

“Is that a threat?”

Hinata laughs and reaches over to shove the paint can in Atsumu’s hands. “It’s a promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> title from one of my favorite Howl lines in the book: "My shining dishonesty will be the salvation of me" (ch.20)
> 
> read this book, i beg, it has so many quality lines
> 
>  ~~my socials will be added to this note after writers are revealed july31~~  
>  say hi on [twitter](https://twitter.com/adoranoodle) ;D


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